Politics

LGBTQ Victory Fund, a political action committee focused on increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials, announced they have endorsed 13 candidates for office this election cycle – the most ever.

“Thirteen LGBTQ Congressional candidates endorsed by Victory Fund have won their primaries and will appear on the ballot in November – an unprecedented number,” said Elliot Imse, senior director of communications at LGBTQ Victory Fund. “The experiences and struggles of LGBTQ candidates make them authentic, values-driven leaders, and they are resonating with primary voters who are tired of the divisiveness and inaction in Washington.”

One endorsed candidate is Lauren Baer, running for the U.S. House in Florida’s 18th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Republican Brian Mast. The district includes Stuart, Port St. Lucie, and Jupiter.

“If we can elect these out LGBTQ leaders – including Lauren Baer, a solutions-oriented candidate who prioritizes policy over politics – we can secure a pro-LGBTQ majority in Congress and block efforts to rollback equality in the next session,” Imse said.

Judge Rand Hoch, president and founder of Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, was impressed with Baer’s candidacy right from the start.

"When I read the press release issued by Lauren Baer announcing her candidacy, I was a bit overcome when I got to the paragraph mentioning her wife and their daughter," Hoch said. "Literally from day one of her campaign, Lauren Baer was running as an out and proud lesbian. Throughout the campaign, images of Lauren's family have been included in both her print and television media. This demonstrates how far the LGBTQ community has come. Lauren will not only be a solid representative of her Treasure Coast constituents, she will also be an inspirational leader and role model."

Hoch urged the LGBT community to support Baer by visiting her campaign website LaurenBaerForCongress.com and signing up to volunteer or contribute.

The other endorsed Lcandidates include two for the Senate, Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin and Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona. Sinema would be the first openly bisexual member of the Senate.

The endorsed House candidates include David Cicilline in Rhode Island; Angie Craig in Minnesota; Sharice Davids in Kansas; Katie Hill in California; Rick Neal in Ohio; Gina Ortiz Jones in Texas; Chris Pappas in New Hampshire; Mark Pocan in Wisconsin; Mark Takano in California; and Sean Patrick Maloney in New York.

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